Polishing-machine for floors.



E. GAVIGGHI EOLISHING MACHINE PoR rLooRs.

APPLICATION FILED.DEO.12, 1913. I

@32696150 y Paten@ Jan. 26,191.5.

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ERCOLE CAVICGHI, F- QUNCY, MASSACHUSETTS.

POISHING-MACHINE FOR FLOORS.

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Specification of Letters Patent. i 'Patented Jari. 26, 1915..

Application iled December 12, 1913. Serial No. 806,327.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, ERCOLE Caviooiin a citizenof the United States, residing in Quincy, county of Norfolk, State ofMassachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Polishing-Machines forFloors, of which the following description, in connection with theaccompanying drawing, is a specifica tion, like characters on thedrawing representing like parts.

able support which the operator may re` lease by means of a foot lever,leaving his hands free to raise and lower vthe base as required.

Another object of the' invention is to provide e polishing tool whichmay be reversed when one side of the face becomes worn in such a manneras to utilize another portion of the surface and at the saine time evenup the grinding face of the tooi.

Aanother object of the invention is to profide a rotating polishingmachine of the e class described with a series of three nonievolublepolishing tools, whereby said tools will remain constantly in contactwith the surface being polished notwithstanding the irregularities ofsuch surface.

ln the drawings: Figure l is a side elevation partly in section of amachine einbodying my invention, and F ig. 2 is a plan view of the same.

rhe polishing machine illustrated herein comprises a truck carrying abase plate upon which is mounted a motor and suitable gearing connectingthe same with a rotating head the shaft of which is journaled in a.

.vertical bearing in the base plate, the grinding members being attachedby universal couplings, preferably ball and socket joints to said rotaryhead. A

The basel plate comprises a substantially horizontalbody, .1, which isdesirably provided with a depression 2 in which a suitable strap 3 vforsupporting the handle e is secured, and a forward depressed portion 5adapted to accommodate the gearing for driving the grinding tool. rlhebase plate l is preferably provided with an upwardly extending integralrib 6 in which is journaled a countershaft 7 upon which is mounted asleeve carrying a beveled gear 8 which .meshes with a horizontallydisposed gear 9 mounted upon a vertical shaft 10 which extends through abearing ll projecting downwardly from the forward extension of the baseplate.

A suitable motor such as an electric motor l5 is rigidlyA secured to thebase plate and its shaft i6 carries a gear 17 which meshes with a gear18 fixed upon the sleeve which carries the beveled gear S. rhe gearingabove described is preferably inolosed by a suitable cap 2O which issecured to the bed plate by bolts 2l. rihe cap 2O is preferably providedwith a cylindrical boss 22 in alinement with the journal ll and whichserves as a journal to support the upper end of the shaft lO.

ln some instances it is desirable that greater weigh*L be placed uponthe polishing tools than is furnished by the weight of the drivingmechanismr` and to accomplish this result a weight 223 of iron or othermetal suitably fashioned to fit upon the upper portion of the casing andsurround the boss 20 may be placed upon said cap. This weight isdesirubly provided with a handle 23X by which itinay be lifted from themachine.

The lower end of the shaft l0 is'provided with a driving head which hasthree radial arms 2G provided with downwardly projecting shafts 2Tpreferably having spherical rends 28 adapted to fit in sockets insuitable tool supporting members 29. By reason ofthe fact that threearms are vprovided and consequently three polishing tools utilized, andof the fact that the coin nection betw een said arms and the tools areuniversal joints, all of the grinding tools will necessarily remain incontact with the ,shaft 27 on the erin 2@ nent of said polishing tool.YBy this construction the axes of the elliptical polishing tools aremaintained at an angle; preferably a substantially right angle, to theradial lines of their connection to the head. They are prevented fromrevolution about the shaft 27 and consequently travel in an endwisedirection thus presenting the greatest possible amount of their abradingsurface to the portion of the floor being polished.

The rotation of the polishing tools about the axis of the rotating headcauses the tools to wear away morerapidly upon the inner side, but byreason ofthe symmetrical construction of the grinding tools, the sidesof the tool may be alternately worn down by merely detaching the link 32from the forward projection 31 and reversi-ng the position of thepolishing tool to cause the end which was previously at the rear tobecome the forward end of 4the tool; The tool may thus be caused to weardown evenly without wasting abrading material. As the polishing toolswear away the forward end of the machine gradually becomes lower andlower and in order to maintain the shaft 10 about which the tool.rotates in a substantially vertical position means` are provided foradjusting the rear end of the carriage. In the preferred form of theinvention shown herein such adjustment is permitted by securing the axle40 which carries the wheels 41 at the lower end of a pair of arms 42which arel pivoted to the base plate upon a shaft 43 intermediate of theends of said carriage and preferably adjacent to and beneath the upwardprojection 6. A locking rack 45 having recesses 46 is pivoted to a shaft47 journaled in lugs 48 upon the rear end of the base portion and aspring 49x surrounding said shaft tends to keep the recess of the rackin engagement with the axle 40. The shaft 47 is also provided with arearwardly extending lever 49 adapted to be depressed by the foot of theoperator to disengage the rack from the axle 40. It will be obvious thatto adjust therear .end of the base plate upwardly it isonly necessaryfor the operator to depress the lever 49 and at the same time raise orlower the handle until the-next upper or next lower recess in the 'raclrcomes into engagement with the axle 40'. Upon removing the foot from thelever thefspiling 49X will immediately cause the rack to' engage theaxle-at the new point of adjustment.

` In order to more readily' secure the handle to the base plate the endof the latter is preferably provided with a beveled and thickenedportion 50 to which a strap 5l is secured by suitable screw said strapextending upwardly beneath the handle member 4. The handle member ispreferably secured between said strap 5l and the strap 3 by bolts 53passing throughthe handle and inaaeizs said straps; Thevhandle providedat its upperend with the usual hand piece and an electric switch maydesirably be placed upon said handle adjacent to the hand piece forcontrollingr the motor. i

The axle of the truck may be provided with a latch 54 attached to thelower side of the base plateand having a projection 55 extending beneatha cross piece 5 6 uniting the arms 42 so that if the rear end of thebase member is raised too far while the rack is held out of engagementwith the axle'the parts will be prevented from becoming wholly detached.

A. guard G0 is preferably provided to prevent the polishing members fromcoming in contact with the edges of the wall or other n objects in theroom. Said guard may attached to lugs 61 extending downwardly f 'fromthe forward portion 5 of the base plate and extended laterally therefrombeyond the field of the rotatingV polishing members'and thence in acircle or curve around the forward end of the machine at such aydistance 1 therefrom as to contact withA any1 object which may be in thepath of the machine before the polishing memberscan reach the same. 'Iheforward portion of the guard being supported by an integral armvQYhaving an eye embracing the bolt 211150 secure the same to the baseplate. The guard may desirably be covered with rubber, felt, or

any .other suitable soft material to prevent l whereby said tool will becaused to remain in operative contact with the surface being treated andto'move uniformly about the axis of the driving head.

2. In a machine of the class-described comprising a rotating drivinghead and means actuating the same, a series of three non-revolubleelliptically flexibly united 4'polishing tools connected to said head byuniversal couplings whereby saidmembers will remain in operative contactwith the surface being treated notwithstanding` irregularities in saidsurface. n

In a machine ofthe class described comprising a rotary driving headan'dmeans for actuating the same, a series of substantially ellipticalhollow grinding tools connected to said head by universal' couplings andflexibly united in such a manner that the axis of each elliptical toolwill be mainconnection w e radial line of its v head.

il., ln an apparatus comprising a rotary driving head and means :toractuating the same, a series of three hollow elliptical grinding tools,a universal.

joint connecting each ot said tools to saidv rotary head, meansconnecting the forward apex of each polishing member to the rotatinghead whereby the elliptical grinding members will becaused to travel incircular paths the axes of said members being maintained atsubstantially right angles to radial line of their connection with therotating head.

5. ln a machine of the class described comprising a rotating drivinghead having radial arms and means for actuating said head, a series ofelliptical polishing members connected to said radial arms by universalcouplings,- a tie rod connecting the forward end of each ellipticalgrinding tool with the arm next in advance or" 'the rotating grindinghead whereby the axis of the elliptical grinding tool will be maintainedat substantially right angles to the radial line or its connection witha rotating head.

6. ln an apparatus or the class described comprising a base memberhaving depending polishing mechanism mounted thereupon, a truckcomprising arms pivotally se cured at one end of said base memberintermediate of its length, an axle supported in the opposite ends ofsaid arms and adjustable non yieldable means connected with said basemember adapted to engage said axle to support the rear end of said basemember. v

7. ln an apparatus of the class described comprising a base memberhaving depending polishing mechanism mounted thereupon, a truck for saidbase member comprisa ing a pair of arms pivotally secured at one end tosaid vbase member intermediate of its` length, an axle supported in theopposite ends of said arms and a rackl pivotally a truck for saidbase'member comprising a pair of arms pivotally secured, one end to saidbase member intermediate of its length, an axle supported in theopposite ends oit said arms, a rack pivotally mounted at the Aend ofsaid base member having teeth adapted to engage said axle to support'the end of said member, a foot lever connected with said rack wherebythe same may be readily disengaged from the axle and a handle attachedto the rear of said base member.

ln testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ERCOLE CAVCCH. Witnesses:

NATHAN HEARD.,

I NATHAN C. LOMBARD.

